Altered posttranslational modification on U1 small nuclear ribonucleoprotein 68k in systemic autoimmune diseases detected by 2D Western blot

Anti-ribonucleoprotein (anti-RNP) antibodies are one of the representative autoantibodies detectable in patients with systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE) and mixed connective tissue disease (MCTD). Generally, posttranslational modifications (PTMs) on autoantigens are proposed to be involved in the production of autoantibodies. In this study, we tried to detect the alteration in PTMs on a U1 small nuclear RNP 68k subunit (U1-68k), a major antigen of anti-RNP antibodies. Peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMCs) were obtained from patients with MCTD, SLE, and rheumatoid arthritis (RA), and from healthy donors. U1-68ks in the PBMCs were detected by 2D Western blot (WB), where extracted nuclear proteins were separated by 2DE, followed by the detection of U1-68k using WB. More than 20 PTM isoforms were detected with different molecular weights of 65.0 , 66.5, and 68.0kDa, and different pIs between 6.0 and 8.5. Importantly, the relative intensity of the spot with 66.5 kDa and pI 7.5 was significantly increased in the MCTD and SLE groups compared to the RA and healthy groups. Further, this U1-68k isoform, in particular, in its RS domain, was found to have significantly decreased phosphorylation compared to the other isoforms. The PTM alternation may be one of the steps to generate the anti-RNP antibodies.     

Phase behavior of mixed polyoxyethylene-type nonionic surfactants in water

Cloud temperatures, phase behavior, and the structures of liquid crystals were investigated in the aqueous systems of homogenous hexaethylene glycol dodecyl ether(C₁₂EO₆) and mixed C₁₂EO₄-C₁₂EO₈, C₁₂EO₂-EO₈, C₁₂EO₂-C₁₂EO₈, and C₁₂EO₀-C₁₂EO₈ In the mixed surfactant systems, the average polyoxyethylene- (EO-) chain lengths are kept constants, the same as C₁₂EO₆. The change in cloud temperatures is small in all the systems, whereas the phase behavior is successively changed with increasing the difference in EO-chain length in the mixture. Lamellar liquid crystal is developed in the phase diagrams and it intrudes in the two-phase region above the cloud temperature. Hence, the phase pattern of the present mixed surfactant systems resembles that of C₁₂EO₅ system, but both cloud point and W+L region appear at much higher temperature. Hence, the Hydrophile-Lipophile Balance of the surfactant is not largely changed by mixing the surfactants but the SAXS results show that the surfactant molecules are more tightly packed in the hexagonal and lamellar phases by mixing. It is considered that when surfactants of different EO-chain lengths are mixed, the considerable reduction in repulsion between the hydrophilic moieties takes place and the surfactant molecules are more tightly packed.     

Synthesis of the Carbohydrate Moiety of Glycoproteins from the Parasite Echinococcus granulosus and Their Antigenicity against Human Sera

Stereocontrolled syntheses of biotin-labeled oligosaccharide portions containing the carbohydrate moiety of glycoprotein from Echinococcus granulosus have been accomplished. Trisaccharide Galβ1-3Galβ1-3GalNAcα1-R (A), tetrasaccharide Galα1-4Galβ1-3Galβ1-3GalNAcα1-R (B), and pentasaccharide Galα1-4Galβ1-3Galβ1-3Galβ1-3GalNAcα1-R (C), (R = biotinylated probe) were synthesized by stepwise condensation and/or block synthesis by the use of 5-(methoxycarbonyl)pentyl 2-azido-4,6-O-benzylidene-2-deoxy-α-d-galactopyranoside as a common glycosyl acceptor. The synthesis of the tetrasaccharide and the pentasaccharide was improved from the viewpoint of reducing the number of synthetic steps and increasing the total yield by changing from stepwise condensation to block synthesis. Moreover, hexasaccharide E, which contains the oligosaccharide sequence which occurs in E. granulosus, was synthesized from trisaccharide D. We examined the antigenicity of these five oligosaccharides by an enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA). Although compounds of C–E did not exhibit antigenicity against cystic echinococcosis (CE) patient sera, compounds B, D, and E showed good serodiagnostic potential for alveolar echinococcosis (AE).     

Preparation and Characterization of Highly Proton-Conductive Composites Composed of Phosphoric Acid-Doped Silica Gel and Styrene-Ethylene-Butylene-Styrene Elastomer

Highly proton-conductive elastic composites have been successfully prepared from H₃PO₄-doped silica gel and a styrene-ethylene-butylene-styrene (SEBS) block elastic copolymer. Ionic conductivities of the composites depended on the concentration of H₃PO₄ and the heat treatment temperature of the H₃PO₄-doped silica gel. It was found that H₃PO₄ added is present mainly as free orthophosphoric acid in the silica gel. The composite composed of H₃PO₄-doped silica gel with a molar ratio of H₃PO₄/SiO₂ = 0.5 heat-treated at temperatures below 200°C and SEBS elastomer in 5 mass% showed a high conductivity of 10^–5 S cm^–1 at 25°C in an dry N₂ atmosphere. The water adsorption during a storage in 25% relative humidity at room temperature for 1 day enhanced the ionic conductivities of composites by about one order of magnitude. Lower conductivities obtained in the composite with the H₃PO₄-doped silica gel heat-treated at 250°C for 1 h were due to the formation of crystalline Si₃(PO₄)₄. The temperature dependence of conductivity of the composites was the Vogel-Tamman-Fulcher type, indicating that proton was transferred through a liquidlike phase formed in micropores of the H₃PO₄-doped silica gels. The temperature dependence of the modulus of the composite was similar to that of the SEBS elastomer. The thermoplastically deforming temperature of the composite was around 100°C, which was higher by 30°C than that of the SEBS elastomer.     

Structure,Properties and Biodegradation of Some Bacterial Copoly(hydroxyalkanoate)s

This article describes the relationships between not only comonomer-unit compositions but also their distributions and structures as well as properties for bacterial copoly(hydroxyalkanoate)s, including poly(3-hydroxybutyrate-co-3-hydroxyvalerate), poly(3-hydroxybutyrate-co-3-hydroxy-propionate), poly(3-hydroxybutyrate-co-3-hydroxyhexanoate), poly(3-hydroxy-butyrate-co-4-hydroxybutyrate) and poly(3-hydroxybutyrate-co-3-mercapto-propionate). It was found that as-produced copoly(hydroxy-alkanoate)s have broad comonomer-unit compositional distributions, which we can control to some degree. The structure and properties of copoly(hydroxy-alkanoate)s depend not only on the chemical structure and the comonomer-unit composition but also on the comonomer-unit compositional distribution.     

Chain Transfer and Efficiency of End‐Group Introduction in Free Radical Polymerization of Methyl Methacrylate in the Presence of Poly(methyl methacrylate) Macromonomer

Summary: Experimental and modeling studies of addition–fragmentation chain transfer (AFCT) during radical polymerization of methyl methacrylate in the presence of poly(methyl methacrylate) macromonomer with 2‐carbomethoxy‐2‐propenyl ω‐ends (PMMA‐CO₂Me) at 60 °C are reported. The results revealed that AFCT involving PMMA‐CO₂Me formed in situ during methyl methacrylate polymerization has a negligible effect on the molecular weight distribution.

     

The Rapid Measurement of ABO Blood Type by Using SPR(Surface Prasmon Resonance) Sensor

The conventional measurement of ABO blood-types is visual inspection method based on the aggregation reaction with monoclonal antibody. But, this method takes a long time (one night) and requires the skilled analyzer to decide the blood-types for the saliva and bloodstain sample. Therefore, the rapid and sensitive measurement of ABO blood type has been required for the saliva and bloodstain on the clothes. Surface prasmon resonance (SPR) is an optical technique, which has been applied to biosensing. In this study, the rapid and sensitive measurement of ABO blood-types were investigated by using SPR sensing system.     

Water Permeation of SiO2-CH3SiO3/2 Thin Films Modified with Trimethylsilyl Groups on Nylon-6 Substrates

SiO₂-CH₃SiO_3/2 thin films coated on nylon-6 substrates by the sol-gel method were modified with trimethylsilyl (TMS) groups and their water permeability was evaluated. The water permeability coefficient of the nylon-6 substrates coated with TMS-modified SiO₂-CH₃SiO_3/2 thin films was smaller than that of unmodified ones. The wettability for water of SiO₂-CH₃SiO_3/2 thin films modified with TMS was smaller than that of unmodified ones. The decrease in the wettability by the modification with TMS resulted in the decrease in water permeability. The measurements of pore size distribution and the water permeability coefficient of coating films with different pressures of upstream side suggested that the mechanism of permeation was governed by the capillary condensation flow. This mechanism was also supported by the result that the water permeability coefficient was decreased with a decrease in wettability.     

Synthesis of a bicyclic dipeptide with the shape of β-turn central part

A bicyclic dipeptide derivative with fixed conformation simulating that of the two central amino acid residues in type II′ β-turn has been synthesized starting from L-glutamic acid and L-cysteine in short steps.